Rake Do I need to buy a landscape (York) rake

[8561]

I have a new house and I'm putting in my new lawn. I know I probably need one for this type of job, but after I'm finished with it, what will I need to use it for? I'm trying to make a decision if I should just rent one, or should I buy one because I'll have uses for it down the road. What types of jobs do you do with your landscape rake after your lawn grows in?

[Freds]

If it has guage wheels you can set it up to use on your lawn after the grass has grown in for raking without digging in. In my case I used it to rake up pears on three pear trees I USED to have. I've also used it backwards to smooth out pea gravel. I've done a lot with it, but then I had a pretty good sized project going on and still do somewhat, but you're right. It is somewhat limited in use once you have everything done.

[greg_g]

If you or your neighbors feed hay outdoors to livestock over winter, you may know the trampled hay around the feeders can be a problem. I use my rake periodically to spread it out, drag it away from the feeders, and distribute it as compost for areas of the pasture that need the help.

//greg//

[nick37]

I agree that a landscape rake with gauge wheels can be used for many other jobs. I used mine to clean-up the loose remnants of a chipped brush pile (and to tighten up the mulch pile for scooping with the FEL). It is also invaluable for patching the ruts left over from the house construction.

However, these may just be projects that I have found to help justify its purchase. When I was planning to put in the lawn, I choose to buy rather than rent simply for the convenience (the weather doesn't always check to see when I've reserved equipment) and the fact that I had no easy way to get one home (wouldn't fit on the roof of my car!).

Whether you rent or buy, I strongly recommend guage wheels and making sure the rake is wider than your tires when angled.

[Yankee]

"I strongly recommend guage wheels and making sure the rake is wider than your tires when angled. "

Any rule of thumb here? My Kubota B7610 is a bit over 4' wide at the rears with R4s. My dealer thinks that I should go no bigger than a 5' rake, but to your point, that seems minimal to me when angled. The heavier-duty rakes are also not available in 5' widths.

Bill

[Freds]

I had a b7500 and used a 6 ft Woods rake with it. Sure, sometimes the pile of brush and dirt got a little heavy for it, but nothing that couldn't be overcome and I used the heck out of it. I plowed with a 6 ft blade, too, even though it's over the recommendation. You just need to lift and drop every so often and then go back over those areas. No big deal for taking a bigger swipe to begin with.
The one drawback in the extra width is you can't spin it 180 when it's attached, it hits the tires.

[Yankee]

Good points. I've been wondering if buying a larger, heavier-duty rake would be worthwhile to get features, but have thought about cutting it down to avoid the reversability problem. I just MIGHT be over-analyzing again, though! I'd be interested in having not just angling but tilt too, for example, which you can get by using a blade frame with a tine assembly.

Bill